La Grange train station reopens after van accident

Structural repairs have been made, some still underway

Metra has more work to do on the train station on Burlington Road, but it reopened to the public this week. (Michelle Manchir, Chicago Tribune)

The La Grange Metra station on Burlington Road reopened this week after closing down for more than a month after a van drove into the wall of the commuter lobby area.

While the station is still undergoing permanent repairs, enough structural work had been done to the building that it was able to reopen this week with a ticket agent on site, said Metra spokesman Tom Miller.

On the afternoon of Dec. 20, a van exiting a parking stall drove into the south wall of the building, causing damage and one minor injury at the scene, according to a report from the village. The west half of the station, including ticketing services, had been shut down since the incident.

The reopening will come as a relief to commuters in La Grange who found the closure inconvenient.

"I had to take the train last week, and I'm not a regular user, so I couldn't buy a ticket," John Matthews, of La Grange, said while waiting for a train this week. "You could buy it on a train but then you have to pay more."

Miller, the spokesman for Metra, said typically when an incident occurs at a station that usually has a ticket agent available, Metra won't charge the extra amount to buy a ticket on the train.

Metra still has some work to do on the site, Miller said. A portion of the building that was struck by the vehicle remained boarded this week. Miller said there's "no real timetable" for when that work will be complete.

"It's been stabilized though, and the permanent replacement will be done in the future," Miller said.

Miller said he did not know the total of repair costs.

Village officials say they are not involved in the repair process.

"The selection and procurement of the repairs at the station are being handled by Metra," Assistant Village Manager Andrianna Peterson said via email.

According to the Metra website, ticket agent hours at the 25 W. Burlington Road station are 5:25 a.m. to 1 p.m., while waiting room hours are 5 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.